Suffer the little children

It's happened again. Another father has killed himself and taken his children with him. This excuse for a man killed his three children by drugging and gassing them. He had a history of violence. Here's another one. And another one. And another one. The last two killed their children on Fathers Day. This one rang the childrens mother and told her what he was doing, 'allowing' her to listen to her children as they died.

Before we go any further let me make something clear. I do not approve of women - or men - who use their children to hurt their partners. I do not approve of women who refuse to allow children to see their fathers for no reason other than their own hurt feelings. Children are not soldiers in a war. They are to be protected as much as possible during the breakdown of a relationship. I'm sure it hurts if your husband cheated on you/gambled away your home/just didn't measure up but unless he has harmed you or the children then they still get to see Daddy.

It's not just men who kill their children, women do it too. In 2001 Andrea Yates drowned her five children. This is a woman who had been diagnosed with postnatal depression after the birth of her fourth child and has also attempted suicide twice. Her psychiatrist testified at the trial that she had urged both Mr and Mrs Yates not to have any further children due to the extreme likelihood of further psychotic depression. The Yates' went on to have another child within a year of Andrea's discharge from psychiatric care and her mental illnes resurfaced within three months of the birth of the 5th child. Despite this, the prosecution asked - unsuccessfully - for the death penalty. Alison Davies killed both herself her 12 year old son Ryan. Ms Davies had a long history of mental health problems. In all the research - okay, Googling - I did for this post I couldn't find much in the way of high profile cases where a mother had killed a child to hurt an ex husband or partner. I'm sure it exists, but I doubt it's in any way comparable with men who kill their children to hurt the mother.

Some might argue that fathers must be mentally ill to kill their own children. I disagree. I think in these cases the men were complete and utter evil bastards. Maybe their ex wives knew this. Maybe if the ex wives were trying to limit the fathers access visits to the children they were right to do so in these cases. Maybe these women saw what no one else did. That these weren't vulnerable men who were being denied visitation rights to their children because their ex partners were vindictive bitches but instead that these women realised the men were evil fuckers who would stop at nothing to get 'even'. I don't care how pissed off you are at your ex missus. You don't take the lives of your own flesh and blood. No real man would do that.